Mizzima: ICFTU demands for thorough

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ICFTU demands for thorough investigation of Brazilian unionist's death
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
Sept. 29: A Brazilian trade unionist who has been fighting against child
labor was brutally murdered on September 23 in a believed to be
politically motivated assassination, according to a press release of
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). Carlos "Gato"
Alberto Santos de Oliveira was killed by two gunmen as he left a bar
with six other rural workers, in the north-eastern town of Pedrinhas,
Sergipe in Brazil. The gunmen fired several times at point blank rage at
his body and sped away in their car, said the Brussels-based
international trade union organization.
The ICFTU said that it is a politically-motivated killing and the gunmen
are still at large. We were "deeply shocked to hear of the death of
Carlos Alberto Santos de Oliveira and calls on the Brazilian authorities
to fully investigate his assassination".
El "Gato" as he was known became nationally renowned for his fight
against the exploitation of child labourers in a country where roughly
2.9 million children aged 14 or under are employed. He was also
President of the Sergipe Citrus Fruit Workers' Union, condemned the
wealthy large landowners that exploits the children and landless rural
workers of Brazil.
"Throughout Brazil, farms regularly employ children, especially migrant
labourers during peak harvest seasons. Employers hire these children
because they are lighter and more able to climb trees without breaking
branches. The children then usually pick oranges from trees or off the
ground and box them for shipment where they are paid merely $3.00 US for
working a 14 hour day."
According to ICFTU, Carlos Gato is the fifth-known labour advocate
killed for his political activities this year alone. "However, the
number is estimated to be much higher, as there are known to have been
1,158 rural workers killed for their political activities between 1985
and 1998 in Brazil."
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<center><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>ICFTU demands for thorough
investigation of Brazilian unionist's death</font></font></b></center>
<p><i><font color="#FF0000">Mizzima News <a href="http://www.mizzima.com&quot;>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></i>
<p>Sept. 29: A Brazilian trade unionist who has been fighting against child
labor was brutally murdered on September 23 in a believed to be politically
motivated assassination, according to a press release of International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). Carlos "Gato" Alberto Santos
de Oliveira was killed by two gunmen as he left a bar with six other rural
workers, in the north-eastern town of Pedrinhas, Sergipe in Brazil. The
gunmen fired several times at point blank rage at his body and sped away
in their car, said the Brussels-based international trade union organization.
<p>The ICFTU said that it is a politically-motivated killing and the gunmen
are still at large. We were "deeply shocked to hear of the death of Carlos
Alberto Santos de Oliveira and calls on the Brazilian authorities to fully
investigate his assassination".
<p>El "Gato" as he was known became nationally renowned for his fight against
the exploitation of child labourers in a country where roughly 2.9 million
children aged 14 or under are employed. He was also President of the Sergipe
Citrus Fruit Workers' Union, condemned the wealthy large landowners that
exploits the children and landless rural workers of Brazil.
<p>"Throughout Brazil, farms regularly employ children, especially migrant
labourers during peak harvest seasons. Employers hire these children because
they are lighter and more able to climb trees without breaking branches.
The children then usually pick oranges from trees or off the ground and
box them for shipment where they are paid merely $3.00 US for working a
14 hour day."
<p>According to ICFTU, Carlos Gato is the fifth-known labour advocate killed
for his political activities this year alone. "However, the number is estimated
to be much higher, as there are known to have been 1,158 rural workers
killed for their political activities between 1985 and 1998 in Brazil."
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